Abstract
Tactical urbanism, although not a new approach for reshaping urban environments, has recently been gaining popularity globally within urban design and planning practice. As a planning approach, it has been praised for being inexpensive, flexible, responsive and having the ability to increase place-making, improve liveability and get community members involved in shaping their urban environments. In New Zealand, the potential of tactical urbanism as a responsive planning approach for achieving new urban design outcomes is being explored. In Christchurch, it has been used to bring life and energy back to the city after it was hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. More recently, the Innovating Streets for People Programme, launched by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency in 2020, has facilitated 72 roading related tactical urbanism initiatives throughout the country.
In this research, tactical urbanism initiatives in Mangawhai, Henderson (Auckland), Pukekohe (Auckland), Gore and Christchurch were examined to determine how New Zealand local authorities can best use tactical urbanism as a responsive planning approach to create more vibrant and liveable urban areas. A literature review, policy review, key informant interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted to address the following research questions; what is tactical urbanism and how has it been used in an international context? What provisions are there for tactical urbanism’s implementation within New Zealand’s formal planning framework? How have tactical urbanism initiatives been successful in contributing to the improved liveability and vibrancy of New Zealand urban centres? What challenges have local authorities faced when engaging in tactical urbanism? What makes for a good tactical urbanism delivery process? And how can the implementation of tactical urbanism can be improved going forward?
This research found that tactical urbanism can be used successfully in New Zealand to create more vibrant and liveable urban centres. It can bring immediate improvements to an area, provide lessons on how planning solutions work in practice, get communities thinking critically about urban planning and design, prevent wasteful investment and lead to temporary planning approaches being adopted into strategic planning documents. Despite this, it was also found that there are challenges that prevent the full potential of tactical urbanism from being realised. A lack of support for tactical urbanism in New Zealand’s formal planning framework can jeopardise the innovativeness, cost-effectiveness and responsiveness of this approach. As well as this, a lack of community buy-in for local authority led initiatives can reduce the levels of success the initiatives achieve.
Nevertheless, although there are challenges to using tactical urbanism in New Zealand, these are not insurmountable. By better accommodating tactical urbanism in New Zealand’s formal planning framework and employing a good delivery process, the benefits of tactical urbanism can be realised.